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Cyril Crowe
Wing Commander Cyril Marconi Crowe MC, DFC (6 January 1894 – 31 May 1974) was a World War I flying ace credited with 15 victories.[1] Early lifeCrowe was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Crowe of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire,[2] He was educated at Mill Hill School from 1907 until 1911.[3] World War I serviceCrowe was granted Aviator's Certificate No. 898 on 8 September 1914 after flying at the Grahame-White Flying School at Hendon Aerodrome.[4] On 1 October, he was commissioned in the Royal Flying Corps as a probationary second lieutenant,[5] was appointed a flying officer on 22 December,[6] and confirmed in his rank on 6 January 1915.[7] On 24 April 1915, he was promoted to lieutenant.[8] Crowe was appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain on 14 October,[9] and 1 December was promoted from temporary captain to captain.[10] When the founding Officer Commanding of No. 56 Squadron, Major Richard Blomfield, went recruiting pilots for the new unit, Crowe was chosen on the basis of his skills to be a flight commander.[11] He came aboard as leader of "B" Flight on 19 April 1917.[12] He scored his first victory on 24 April 1917; by 30 April, his count stood at four.[1] Crowe was involved in Albert Ball's last dogfight on 7 May, and was the last British pilot to see Ball still alive.[3] Crowe reported that Ball was last seen flying into a thunderhead.[13] Between 23 May and 16 June, Crowe increased his number of aerial victories by five, to bring his total to nine.[1] On 26 October 1917 Crowe was appointed a squadron commander, with the temporary rank of major,[14] to serve as an instructor at the Central Flying School,[15] remaining in that post until 21 February 1918,[16] when he also relinquished his temporary rank.[17] Crowe returned to No. 56 Squadron, accounting for five more enemy aircraft between 18 March and 1 July.[1] Upon James McCudden's death on 9 July,[18] Crowe took over as commander of No. 60 Squadron, with another appointment to the temporary rank of major.[19] By then, his tally stood at 14 victories.[1] On 29 July, he crashed a car into a tree while returning from a party in Dieppe. The accident killed his old schoolmate Owen Scholte, as well as Major Foggin. The resultant court-martial reduced Crowe to the rank of captain for a month.[3] He was then reinstated in the rank of major and given command of No. 85 Squadron. He scored his fifteenth and last victory for them on 16 September 1918.[1] Crowe's talents as a fighter pilot were described by Arthur Rhys-Davids, one of the pilots in "B" Flight, 56 Squadron: "Crowe is not afraid of anything and goes after old Huns like a rocket and yet he is extraordinarily prudent."[1] Crowe eventually left the RAF, being transferred to the Unemployed List on 25 September 1919.[20] Between the warsCrowe married Elena Temperley at Saint John's Anglican church in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 21 September 1929.[2] They went on to have four children: Peter, Robin Bettina and Sally[21] Crowe was granted a commission as a flight lieutenant (and honorary squadron leader) in the Reserve of Air Force Officers on 20 November 1937.[22] World War IIOn 1 September 1939 Crowe relinquished his reserve commission[23] and joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as a flight lieutenant, with seniority from 13 March.[24] He rose to the rank of wing commander.[3] On 24 September 1947 he returned to the Reserve of Air Force Officers with the rank of flight lieutenant,[25] until finally relinquishing his commission on 27 May 1954.[26] Honours and awards
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